Auto Strike is Threatening the Economy & Inflation~Biden is destroying the auto industry~Vehicle Prices Could Increase~Ex-Chrysler, Home Depot CEO Speaks to Bartiromo

Former Chrysler and Home Depot CEO Bob Nardelli explains why he thinks the UAW strikes will 'go on for a while.'

'ACTIONS NOT WORDS': UAW president withholds Biden endorsement

Former Michigan gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon discusses the ongoing UAW workers' strike, Biden's self-described role as a 'pro-union president', and voters' concerns that Biden isn't healthy enough to serve.

Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., discusses the United Auto Workers strike's impact on the economy and his support for a continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown.

Biden Admin Quietly Moves To Ban Natural Gas Transport Via Rail Systems

Biden Admin Quietly Moves To Ban Natural Gas Transport Via Rail Systems

EAST PALESTINE, OH - FEBRUARY 23: U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg (C) visits with Department of Transportation Investigators at the site of the derailment on February 23 2023 in East Palestine, Ohio. On February 3rd, a Norfolk Southern Railways train carrying toxic chemicals derailed causing an environmental disaster. Thousands of residents were ordered to evacuate after the area was placed under a state of emergency and temporary evacuation orders (Photo by Brooke LaValley-Pool/Getty Images)
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg (C) visits with Department of Transportation Investigators at the site of the derailment on February 23 2023 in East Palestine, Ohio. (Photo by Brooke LaValley-Pool/Getty Images)

OAN’s James Meyers
1:09 PM – Wednesday, September 6, 2023

SEE: https://www.oann.com/newsroom/biden-admin-quietly-moves-to-ban-natural-gas-transport-via-rail-systems/;

Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, & research purposes.

The Biden Administration quietly reversed a Trump-era regulation by moving to ban the transport of liquefied natural gas (LNG) by rail system. 

In a federal filing on Friday, ahead of Labor Day weekend, the Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), moved to suspend a Trump-era rule allowing the transport of LNG via train cars.

However, the rule will remain in effect until a permanent rule regarding a new LNG rail tank car transportation is proposed and put into place, which could take several months or until June 30, 2025. 

“We are encouraged by the decision to suspend the dangerous practice of transporting highly flammable LNG by rail through communities,” said Patrick Grenter, the director of eco group Sierra Club’s Beyond Dirty Fuels Campaign.

“We have seen the destruction that an accident can cause to communities bordering the railway route, often communities most impacted by pollution and we support any step that will keep it from happening again,” he added. “We urge PHMSA to make the only reasonable decision available to them: make the suspension permanent and ban LNG by rail once and for all.” 

This news comes after Democrat lawmakers had written to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg earlier this year, pleading for a permanent ban on LNG transportation by a rail system, citing safety risks pointed out by a handful of environmental groups. 

The PHMSA claimed that the new rule would help the federal government limit public health risks and environmental consequences.

The agency also stated that the new regulation will allow enough time to complete ongoing testing and evaluation for LNG rail transportation, which can help create mitigation measures to limit risks during transportation. 

“This suspension will give time for PHMSA, in conjunction with the National Academies of Sciences and Engineering as well as its Canadian regular counterparts, to complete critical research on transporting cryogenic liquids like LNG (and hydrogen) by rail more safely,” said PHMSA Deputy Administrator Tristan Brown. “This research is expected to conclude in the next year or so and will inform future federal safety regulations from PHMSA and the FRA.”

Republican Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), the ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee, said that the move by the Biden administration was the latest example of its war on energy. 

“Today the Biden administration has fired another salvo in its war on American energy by essentially prohibiting the movement of LNG by rail,” Cruz said. “America is a leader in reducing carbon emissions largely because of the United States development and use of natural gas. The energy renaissance we are seeing in this country is producing enormous environmental benefits.”

“This is yet another example of why the Biden administration cannot be trusted to implement pro-domestic energy policies,” he added.

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Kazakh Tycoon Linked to Chechen Warlord Who Called for Jihad On U.S., Bought Hunter a Sports Car After Dining With Joe

SEE: https://www.jihadwatch.org/2023/08/kazakh-tycoon-linked-to-chechen-warlord-who-called-for-jihad-on-us-bought-hunter-a-sports-car-after-dining-with-joe;

Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, & research purposes.

“This is the Big Jihad which we must all take part in.”

Can the Biden crime family get any tawdrier? They’re already giving the Clintons a run for their money.

The House Oversight Committee has revealed that in “April, Kenes Rakishev, a Kazakhstani oligarch, wired $142,300 to Rosemont Seneca Bohai. The next day, a payment was made from Rosemont Seneca Bohai for a sportscar for Hunter Biden in the amount of $142,300. Archer and Biden then arranged for Burisma executives to visit Kazakhstan in June 2014 to evaluate a three-way deal among Burisma, a Chinese state-owned company, and the government of Kazakhstan.”

This came after a meeting involving Joe Biden and figures linked to Russian and Kazahkh regimes.

In the spring of 2014, Joe joined Hunter and a handful of his business partners for dinner at Cafe Milano in Washington, D.C. Those at the dinner included Kenes Rakishev, Karim Massimov, Yelena Baturina and possibly Eric Schwerin.

Archer confirmed that Joe was present long enough to eat dinner with the group.

Following the dinner, $3.5 million was wired from Russian billionaire Yelena Baturina into Rosemont Seneca Thornton on February 14.

On April 22, $142,300 was wired into the Rosemont Seneca Bohai account from Kenes Rakishev, a businessman from Kazakhstan, who was also at the Cafe Milano dinner.

The payment was made as a gift to Hunter, who received an ‘expensive car.’

Archer told the committee: ‘I believe it was a Fisker first and then a Porsche.’

Who’s Kenes Rakishev and what might he have wanted from the Bidens? 2014 is an interesting date.

In 2014, Rakishev obtained a stake in BTA Bank from the Kazakh government, after the Kazakh dictator Nursultan Nazarbayev temporarily nationalized the bank. Nazarbayev had seized BTA Bank from Kazakhstani billionaire and pro-democracy activist Mukhtar Ablyazov, who feuded with Nazarbayev. Rakishev obtained a controlling stake in the company. The main assets of the company were its claims against Ablyazov, estimated at $6 billion

On February 14, 2014, Rakishev became the new chairman of Kazakhstan-based BTA Bank’s board of directors. The decision was made during an unscheduled meeting of the bank’s shareholders

The timing here is fairly obvious.

Joe Biden was having dinner with the banker for Kazakhstan’s dictator who was looking to recover some cash and gain international legitimacy. And that made Joe Biden kissing cousins with Putin’s Chechen strongman

Once Rakishev did get involved, Ablyazov’s own investigators found that he was working with people close to Ramzan Kadyrov, including Krotov. An Ablyazov acquaintance told reporters from The Project that Krotov played the role of someone who “could kick your ass, if needed.”

The Ablyazov acquaintance also said that the Chechens went on the attack, demanding that Ablyazov’s assets be transferred to Rakishev.

Rakishev and Kadyrov have known each other since the mid-2000s, and frequently appear in photographs together.

In a Facebook post, the Chechen leader heaped praise on Rakishev: “He helps our people a lot, he often visits me, always shares with me his joys and sorrows. He’s well-known and respected in Chechnya. The people call my BROTHER a prince.”

Here’s Ramzan Kadyrov doing what he does.

Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov has declared the war in Ukraine to be ‘the Big Jihad’ while urging Russian Muslims to rise up and fight ‘demons’ and the forces of ‘Satanic democracy’.

Kadyrov raged: ‘I swear with the Almighty’s name, this is the Big Jihad which we must all take part in.

‘And we will not stop. We will be killing them wherever they are. No matter who is helping them, America or Europe. There is nothing to worry about.”

Nothing to worry about when you’ve got a Biden on your team.

Biden turned over $1 trillion worth of lithium to Islamic terrorists; Every Electric Car You Buy Will Fund Al Qaeda

BY DANIEL GREENFIELD

SEE: https://www.jihadwatch.org/2023/07/every-electric-car-you-buy-will-fund-al-qaeda;

Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, & research purposes.

Biden turned over $1 trillion worth of lithium to Islamic terrorists.

The Taliban recently announced that, “five countries are interested in investing in the lithium mining sector in Afghanistan’s Nuristan province.” A Chinese company has already put down a $10 billion bid that would include infrastructure along with improved roads for the terror group.

Shahabuddin Delawar, the Taliban’s mining boss, boasted that, “we have 2.5 million tons in Nurestan alone. Extract it, and Afghanistan can be one of the richest countries in the world.”

And who would be in charge of an estimated $50 billion worth of lithium?

Hafiz Muhammad Agha Hakeem, the governor of the Nuristan province, recently appeared on a UN Security Council list of Taliban governors who were affiliated with Al Qaeda. The Islamic terrorist group had a stronger foothold in the area than almost any other part of Afghanistan. When Al Qaeda had been driven out of the rest of Afghanistan, it stayed on and went on fighting and killing Americans in Nuristan, While the area was named after a non-Pashtun minority who had been forcibly converted to Islam, it became a Taliban and Al Qaeda route to Pakistan.

Al Qaeda will be in charge of its share of an estimated $1 trillion in lithium in the country (not to mention the gem mines). The lithium, desperately needed for electric car batteries, will be mined by Chinese companies and resold to the United States for “green energy”.

Every electric car you buy will help fund Al Qaeda.

‘Green energy’ requires massive amounts of lithium batteries. Even while Americans were being told that switching to electric cars and a renewable power grid would lessen our dependence on middle eastern oil and avoid shortages of ‘non-renewable’ oil, we were actually becoming dependent on a material dominated by our enemies in China and Afghanistan, and Tesla, the most popular brand of electric car, is a company with sizable Saudi shareholders.

‘Renewables’ depend on non-renewable lithium mined ruthlessly by China wherever they can. The United States could mine its own lithium, much like we could drill for our own oil and gas, but the Biden administration puts roadblocks in the way of our energy independence. Climate Envoy John Kerry insists that we’re better off buying Chinese solar panels made by slave labor than to mine, drill and become independent of Beijing and, now the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

The Pentagon’s Task Force for Business and Stability Operations had called Afghanistan the “Saudi Arabia of lithium.” Now it’s the Al Qaeda of lithium instead. After justifying buying slave labor solar panels and lithium mined by poisoning entire villages from China, the same arguments will be used to justify buying lithium batteries that Al Qaeda gets a cut from.

We have no choice but to turn over our economy to our enemies to ‘save the planet’.

Al Qaeda has set up a new training camp in Nuristan where “foreign Arab fighters” are once again arriving to be trained as suicide bombers. The improved “mountain roads” that China plans to build will enable Al Qaeda and the Taliban to move suicide bombers through Pakistan in coordination with Jihadi groups like the Tehreek-e-Taliban… and from there anywhere.

While Al Qaeda used to have to rely on oil money from the Saudis, Qataris and other wealthy Muslim oil states, along with some drug smuggling, kidnapping and cash from humanitarian aid groups, it will have the opportunity to tap into enormous wealth to fund its terrorism. If that happens, Al Qaeda will not only have avoided defeat, but could become deadlier than ever.

And all of our ‘green energy’ ventures will be funding future attacks against ourselves.

Green energy will become a means of transmuting virtue signaling cash into terrorism. That may be why Biden joined the Taliban in denying the UN Security Council’s report on Al Qaeda’s presence in Afghanistan.

“I said al Qaeda would not be there. I said it wouldn’t be there. I said we’d get help from the Taliban. What’s happening now? What’s going on? Read your press. I was right.” Biden falsely claimed. The Taliban’s Foreign Affairs Ministry argued that Biden’s denial “refutes the recent report by UN Sanctions Monitoring Team.” Both Biden and the Taliban are lying about Al Qaeda.

Denying Al Qaeda’s presence will make it easier to eventually lower what few sanctions there are on the Taliban and to make us dependent not only on Communist China, but on Al Qaeda.

The Biden administration has been moving forward to eliminate most car sales by 2030. By then 67% of cars being sold on the market are supposed to be electric and unaffordable to the majority of Americans. California, Massachusetts, New York,  Washington, New York and a number of other states are preparing to ban the sale of real cars by 2035. As is the EU.

While most people will no longer be able to afford to buy a new car in the next decade unless these onerous rules are overturned, those who do will send the price of lithium through the roof.

And that may also set off an unprecedented wave of Islamic terrorism.

From the Saudis and the Qataris, Islamic terrorism has always been funded by American energy needs. The downward shift to unreliable ‘green energy’ has changed nothing except that we may cut out the middle men in their desert skyscrapers and fund Al Qaeda directly.

Out of the mines of Nuristan, once known as ‘Kafiristan’ for their origins as soldiers in Alexander the Great’s army and being among the last to resist submission to Islam, will pour a stream of lithium that will taint the land around it and that will be used to fund terrorism, but that environmentalists will claim is ‘green’, ‘clean’ and ‘sustainable’ though it’s none of the above.

The mines will exist side by side with the Al Qaeda training camps packed with new recruits from the middle east traveling along the roads from Pakistan that will be built by China.

Our governments will take away our cars, our stoves and our livelihoods while forcing us to become dependent for our transportation, our energy and even our cooking on China, the Taliban and Al Qaeda all in the name of saving the planet from an imaginary crisis.

We will pay China and Al Qaeda for the privilege of driving to work or cooling our homes. And for the privilege of killing us.

DeSantis involved in car accident on the way to campaign event in Tennessee; but not injured

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis greets audience members during a fundraising picnic for U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, Saturday, May 13, 2023, in Sioux Center, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was in a car crash Tuesday morning while en route to a campaign event in Tennessee, his spokesperson said in a statement. Press secretary Bryan Griffin said DeSantis was not injured in the crash as they traveled in a motorcade to Chattanooga.

BY ROY FRANCIS

SEE: https://www.oann.com/newsroom/desantis-involved-in-car-accident-on-the-way-to-campaign-event/;

Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, & research purposes.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis greets audience members during a fundraising picnic for U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, Saturday, May 13, 2023, in Sioux Center, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

OAN’s Roy Francis
7:56 AM – Tuesday, July 25, 2023

Florida Governor, and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis was involved in a car accident on Tuesday on his way to a campaign event.

Florida Governor and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis was involved in a car accident on his way to a Tennessee campaign event. According to a statement on his behalf, he and those accompanying him were not injured.

Bryan Griffin, the press secretary for the DeSantis campaign, said that the governor and his team were unhurt following the accident, which happened while DeSantis was making his way to a campaign event in Chattanooga Tennessee.

“This morning, the governor was in a car accident while traveling to an event in Chattanooga, Tennessee,” Griffin said. “He and his team are uninjured. We appreciate the prayers and well wishes of the nation for his continued protection while on the campaign trail.”

The Florida governor also had a scheduled bus tour in the early-voting state of Iowa this week, hosted by super PAC Never Back Down.

According to Fox News, top officials in the DeSantis campaign told top donors that the campaign is resetting. On Sunday, the officials met with donors and acknowledged that too much money has been spent since the two months that DeSantis announced his candidacy.

The campaign officials said that the start of the campaign has been disappointing and that they aim to rebound and change tactics.

DeSantis is currently the second most popular candidate for the 2024 presidential nomination, behind 45th President Donald Trump. As of Tuesday, RealClearPolitics national Republican primary polling showed DeSantis with 18.5% support, and Trump leading the Republicans with 51.8%.

No other Republican candidate currently has a double-digit support in the national polling average. Following the top two candidates comes Vice President Mike Pence with 5.6%, Vivek Ramaswamy at 5.5%, and former United States ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley with 3.5%.

No additional details were given regarding the accident.

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Proposed Chinese-owned Electric Vehicle Battery Facility in Michigan Has Residents United in Opposition

Dangers of Gotion EV Battery Plant in Big Rapids MI

$585 Million to EV Battery Companies; Michigan Corporate Welfare?

Green Charter Township, Marshall Township, and Novi Township are about to be completely changed by these new multibillion-dollar electric vehicle battery factories in Michigan - but only if we give 583 million taxpayer dollars. Gotion High Tech (Chinese) - Ford - and Our Next Energy Inc. Now is your chance to use your voice. Wednesday, March 22 2023 the Democratic-controlled Senate Appropriations Committee will be voting on approval of the corporate welfare.

April 17th, 2023 Gotion EV Battery News Roundup Podcast

Deep Dive: Gotion EV Battery Plant President Chen Li Big Rapids Michigan

Chen Li is the President of Gotion High Tech, & the direct boss of VP Chuck Thelen. Who is his boss? Why does it matter? Deep Dive into leadership style, Chinese influence, and Globalist Utopians - oh my!

BY RICK MORAN

SEE: https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/rick-moran/2023/04/22/proposed-chinese-owned-ev-facility-in-michigan-has-residents-united-in-opposition-n1689376;

Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, & research purposes.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was pleased with herself last October when she announced that Gotion High-Tech, a Chinese EV battery company, was building a plant in Mecosta County. In making the announcement, she said the plant would “strengthen Michigan as the “global hub of mobility and electrification.”

That may be true. But it didn’t impress residents who appear to be almost universally opposed to the idea. It seems that Gotion’s company by-laws contain a curious stricture: Gotion must carry out “Party activities in accordance with the Constitution of the Communist Party of China.”

Related: Biden Administration Moved a Lot Faster Against Proud Boys Than Chinese Communists in New York

That didn’t sit well with many local residents, who asked the Michigan Senate Appropriations Committee to vote down the $175 million plan.

“I am gravely disappointed that our representatives are serving the demands of our governor over the request of our citizens. I can attest, however, that our community is now united in ways they would have never been before. They do not want this,” Hannah Saez, the clerk of Big Rapids Township, stated. “Thousands of Michiganders will be watching today. I know you all receive daily emails and phone calls. I know you’re under pressure. I know you’ve probably been coerced. I beg of you to do what is right here even if corruption is knocking at your door.”

Fox News:

During the Michigan state Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, lawmakers led by Democratic state Sen. Sarah Anthony, the panel’s chair, gave final approval of $175 million in taxpayer funding for Gotion — a subsidiary of the Hefei, China-based Gotion High-Tech — to build an electric vehicle (EV) battery plant in Big Rapids. The measure passed in a tight 10-9 vote with every committee Republican and three Democrats voting against it.

The funding was approved after a period in which members of the public were invited to deliver feedback about the project at the hearing. Nearly all the residents who spoke slammed the proposal and expressed concern about a company based in China developing a factory in their state.

“I think that any Chinese communist plant buying up 700 acres of Michigan land is a concern to all citizens throughout the state,” Cheryl Vitito declared. “This CCP-controlled company represents communism and is a threat to our way of life and our God-given and constitutional freedoms. We don’t want the CCP here by way of the Gotion plant as they have no regard for the value and dignity of human life.”

In fact, there appeared to be undue haste in ramming this measure through the committee before opposition forces had time to organize.

Kyle Luce, the supervisor of Barton Township, said 85% of his constituents opposed the plant. “Our citizens are concerned with the timeframe that’s going on here,” said Luce. “The timing seems to be sped up exponentially to, in our opinion, try to seal the deal and get this done before people have a chance to speak out, residents have a chance to speak out. And individuals, the fine senators, are digging up information daily about the CCP involvement.”

“I’m angry,” local resident Marjorie Steele snapped. “I’m angry that this vote was slipped into the agenda today with as little information as possible so that people like me wouldn’t know it was happening. I’m angry that you, our elected officials, have ignored my community’s pleas to table this vote until some small semblance of due diligence can be performed. I can promise you that we will not stop at the local level.”

The Appropriations Committee voted in favor of the proposal 10-9. It now moves on to the full Senate for approval.

_________________________________________________________________

SEE ALSO:

gotion battery cells volkswagen

Volkswagen Group and Gotion High-Tech Team up to Industrialize Battery Cell Production in Germany

https://batteriesnews.com/volkswagen-gotion-high-tech-battery-cell-production-germany/

 

NORTH DAKOTA: Another Train Carrying Hazardous Materials Derails

Another Train Carrying Hazardous Materials Derails. What's Going On?

BY MATT MARGOLIS

SEE: https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/matt-margolis/2023/03/27/another-train-carrying-hazardous-materials-derails-whats-going-on-n1681823;

Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, & research purposes.

Move over “died suddenly,” because “train carrying hazardous materials derails” is quickly becoming the most common story to pop up in our news feeds.

As per local reports, a train belonging to Canadian Pacific, consisting of 70 cars transporting hazardous materials, derailed late Sunday night in North Dakota, approximately one-mile southeast of Wyndmere in Richland County at around 11:15 p.m.  According to the report, 31 of the 70 cars derailed, and some were found to be leaking petroleum used in the production of asphalt. No injuries have been reported.

Officials said crews will wait for the cold weather to solidify the leaked material, which is expected to transform into a gel.

Related: Three Train Derailments and a Developing Bio-Disaster — Where Are the Eco-Harpies?

As worries about railroad safety persist in the United States, the recent incident in North Dakota is the latest in a string of train derailments.

In February, a significant event occurred in East Palestine, Ohio, where around 50 cars derailed, resulting in the spillage of hazardous materials and the evacuation of residents. The Biden administration was widely criticized for its feeble response to the disaster. Similarly, a few weeks later, a train carrying hazardous materials derailed in Gothenburg, Neb.

There are suggestions that these recent train derailments are happening more frequently than usual, but it’s possible that the heightened attention is due to the East Palestine disaster. Similarly, concerns were raised last year about the frequency of fires occurring at food processing plants, which added to the supply chain crisis that was already problematic.

“So, industrial accidents happen, of course,” Fox News’s Tucker Carlson observed last year, “but this is a lot of industrial accidents at food processing facilities at the same time the president is warning us about food shortages.”

“Obviously, when something happens every so often, you obviously hope that there is no significant damage and certainly that no one gets hurt, but you kind of write it off, it’s not that big of a deal, accidents happen,” noted Carlson. “But when you’ve got well over a dozen food processing plants and warehouses getting destroyed or seriously damaged over just the last few weeks at a time when the food supply is already vulnerable, it’s obviously going to be suspicious, and it could lead to serious food shortages.”

Following the East Palestine derailment, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg defended the administration’s response by citing statistics that suggest there are approximately 1,000 train derailments per year or around 2.7 per day. However, it is likely that the majority of these are minor incidents, such as wheel slippage, that do not result in a train crashing to the ground.

Pete Buttigieg’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day in E. Palestine, Ohio~Jew-Hate in the Muslim World; Could it have something to do with Islam’s holy texts?

Pete Buttigieg Bombed in Visit to East Palestine — Big Time

Pete Buttigieg Bombed in Visit to East Palestine — Big Time

BY MATT MARGOLIS

SEE: https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/matt-margolis/2023/02/23/pete-buttigiegs-terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad-trip-to-e-palestine-ohio-n1673208;

Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, & research purposes.

After having waited weeks to finally show up, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s visit to East Palestine, Ohio, didn’t go very well, as he faced a barrage of questions from the media regarding the slow response of the administration and his failure to come sooner. Based on his poor response to the questions, he was not prepared to handle the criticism.

“What I tried to do was balance two things,” Buttigieg tried to explain to reporters during a painfully cringeworthy news conference. “My desire to be involved and engaged and on the ground, which is how I am generally wired to act, and my desire to follow the norm of transportation secretaries, allowing NTSB to really lead the initial stages of the public-facing work.”

He added, “I’ll do some thinking about whether I got that balance right.”

Related: NTSB Releases Preliminary Findings on the East Palestine Disaster

But, if there was any moment that stands out as cringeworthy, it was when he was trying to argue that the situation in East Palestine had become politicized. “There’s no question that there have been enormous amounts of both information and misinformation injected into this situation, none of which is to the benefit of the community. When it comes to that misinformation… so, I think… sorry, I lost my train of thought.”

He lost his train of thought. Real nice, Pete. Real nice.

Here are some of the highlights of the brutal press conference.

Then, to make matters worse, after getting slaughtered by the media, Buttigieg bailed and left the dirty work to his press secretary.

The media largely ignored the plight of East Palestine for weeks, and now it’s finally getting the help it needs. Help us report on the stories that the mainstream media would sooner ignore by becoming a VIP member. Use promo code SAVE AMERICA for a 40% discount on a new PJ Media VIP membership. Become our partner in holding the media accountable!

While VIP members have access to a wealth of exclusive content, VIP Gold subscribers get even more. With VIP Gold, members can access all of the VIP content across the Townhall Media family (Townhall, RedState, PJ Media, and more) along with live chats with their favorites VodkaPundit and Stephen Kruiser — a nearly $300 value.

Former Ohio state senator on Trump’s expected visit to East Palestine, OHIO train wreck site

Trump to visit East Palestine after toxic train derailment | Canada ...

Former Ohio Senate Democratic Minority Leader Capri Cafaro believes former President Donald Trump will be received well during his visit due to his significant success in Columbiana County, Ohio, where East Palestine is located, especially since there has been a lack of response from the Biden administration.

Trump Steps Up To Help Ohio ChemicaI Spill While Joe Biden Still In Hiding Doing Nothing

LIVE From East Palestine Ohio: FRUSTRATED Residents Gather Waiting for Donald Trump

 

Another Train Derails Carrying Hazardous Materials, This Time in Nebraska

Another Train Derails, This Time in Nebraska

BY KEVIN DOWNEY, JR.

SEE: https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/kevindowneyjr/2023/02/21/breaking-another-train-derails-this-time-in-nebraska-n1672532;

Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, & research purposes.

Yet another train rolled off the tracks; this one is on the east end of Gothenburg, Neb.

The train contained cars carrying hazardous materials. It’s the latest in more than a dozen train derailments this year. Hazmat crews rushed to the scene.

This isn’t the first derailment near Gothenburg.

“This is the fourth one in the last 10 months, it must be one of the busiest railways in America,” local resident Jesse Ambler told reporters. “The rail company keeps laying people off and building longer and longer trains, but with fewer people to maintain the tracks. It’s a problem.”

Union Pacific Railroad released a statement, which read in part:

At about 1:45 a.m. CST today, approximately 31 Union Pacific train cars carrying coal derailed near Gothenburg, Nebraska. No one was injured. The incident occurred about three miles southeast of Gothenburg. Cleanup has begun, with heavy equipment on site. One of the three mainline tracks near the derailment site reopened to train traffic at about 8 a.m. CST. The cause of the incident is under investigation.

The latest derailing comes after Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has finally agreed to visit East Palestine, Ohio, the scene of a disastrous derailment — and intentional burning of poisonous vinyl chloride — that has left hundreds of animals and thousands of fish dead.

FACT-O-RAMA! The people of western Ohio are largely white and Republican. Joe Biden couldn’t make it to East Palestine but was okay making a roundtrip, 44-hour visit to Ukraine. Not surprising considering he couldn’t visit Waukesha, Wisc., when black supremacist Darryl Brooks ran down almost 70 white people and killed six.

Some people are alleging the chemical cloud from East Palestine has spread south, west, and north of East Palestine, causing chaos.

Another train derailed west of Detroit last week, stopping traffic for hours on a nearby interstate highway.

Related: Train Derails Near Detroit, Highway Shut Down for Hours

Buttigieg was kind enough to tell us that there are roughly 1,000 derailments per year or about 2.7 per day. Most of these are likely minor “derailments” including wheel slippage that don’t actually bring a train crashing to the ground.

The story is developing. Check back for updates.

NEWS NATION: Norfolk Southern CEO SPEAKS; ‘terribly sorry’ for Ohio train derailment

Joining NS President and CEO Alan Shaw (center) and the NS senior executive team on the NYSE bell podium were six craft railroaders from the company’s operating division. Photo – New York Stock Exchange

Norfolk Southern Corp. officials yesterday rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange to mark 40 years since the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway created Norfolk Southern Railway on June 1, 1982.

Joining NS President and CEO Alan Shaw and the NS senior executive team on the NYSE bell podium were six craft railroaders from the company’s operating division.

"Forty years since the merger that created Norfolk Southern, and nearly 200 years since the founding of our first predecessor railroad in 1827, we continue to play an essential role serving our customers and powering our nation's economy," said Shaw in a press release. "Norfolk Southern has a rich history, a vital purpose and a bright future."

image

Norfolk Southern train that derailed in East Palestine, Ohio broke down two days prior

Mayor Pete and his pal, CEO of Norfolk Southern Alan Shaw aren’t telling the people of East Palestine, Ohio that the train that derailed, and caused the toxic chemical spill that is now killing animals, and fish and making people sick actually broke down two days prior to the derailment in Ohio. Yet despite this same train breaking down just two days earlier (On February 1st), Norfolk Southern decided to run it out anyway, with the vinyl chloride. How are people not being arrested for such incompetence?

Alan shaw

Norfolk Southern’s CEO said he is “terribly sorry” for the train derailment impacting residents in East Palestine, Ohio. Meanwhile, members of the community worry their health and safety could be at risk after the derailment.

COMING TO YOUR STATE:

Screen Shot 2023-02-17 at 2.11.21 PM.png

500 tons of toxic chemicals:

Ohio derailment is 'consequence of limited regulation'~Trump coming Wednesday

EXCERPTS BELOW FROM: https://heavy.com/news/alan-shaw-norfolk-southern/

Pennsylvania’s Governor Wrote Alan Shaw a Letter ‘Expressing Serious Concerns’ After 38 Rail Cars Derailed in East Palestine, Ohio

SEE THE LETTER: https://www.governor.pa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2023.2.14-Norfolk-Southern-Letter.pdf

PICTURE OF SHAW FROM 11 YEARS AGO:

A MORE RECENT PICTURE

CEO of Norfolk Southern railroad defends detonating toxic train 

Alan Shaw, Who Owns a $4.8 Million Home in Georgia, Has Spent His Career at Norfolk Southern Corporation, Working in Coal Transportation, Marketing & Other Areas

Shaw's primary residence is this $4.2million mansion in Atlanta, Georgia:

Shaw's primary residence is this $4.2million mansion in Atlanta, Georgia

According to Wall Mine, Shaw’s estimated net worth was at least $11.2 million as of January 2023.

Shaw owns “over 3,141 units of Norfolk Southern stock worth over $8,342,995 and over the last 7 years he sold NSC stock worth over $2,015,680. In addition, he makes $873,416 as Pres at Norfolk Southern,” Wall Mine reported.

However, Daily Mail reported that Shaw “earns $4.5 million a year, lives in a $4.25 million mansion, and has a property empire.” The British news site reported that Shaw “owns more than 20 properties across Georgia and Virginia, but spends most of his time in a $4.2 million Atlanta mansion or on one of his two boats.”

Zillow now lists the Atlanta mansion as being worth $4,841,900.

ERIN BROCKOVICH COMPARES THE JULIA ROBERTS MOVIE TO THE TRAIN WRECK IN EAST PALESTINE, OHIO

Erin Brockovich on Joe Biden

Activist Erin Brockovich stands in front of a computer image showing photos of water samples from around the country, as she speaks during an Oklahoma Earthquake Town Hall Meeting at the University of Central Oklahoma on February 23, 2016, in Edmond, Oklahoma. In the inset, President Joe Biden. Brockovich called on Biden's administration to "step up" in response to the trail derailment in eastern Ohio.

Full interview: Erin Brockovich heads to East Palestine, Ohio

SEE: https://www.brockovich.com/

AND: https://hamerlaw.com/industrial-pollution-brockovich-case/

AND: https://www.communityhealthbook.com/

FED UP Erin Brockovich and "Terrified" East Palestine Residents Join on Ohio Train Explosion

SHORTER 38-MINUTE VIDEO:

LONGER VIDEO:

Erin Brockovich: Ohio 'community is left to fend for themselves on toxic train risk

Erin Brockovich: I’ve never seen anything like this

 

 

 

 

J.D. Vance Makes Bone-Chilling Discovery in an East Palestine Creek: ‘This is Disgusting’

J.D. Vance Makes Bone-Chilling Discovery in an East Palestine Creek: 'This is Disgusting'

BY Ryan Ledendecker

SEE: https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/ryanledendecker/2023/02/16/j-d-vance-makes-bone-chilling-discovery-in-an-east-palestine-creek-this-is-disgusting-n1671328;

Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, & research purposes.

The concerns regarding the East Palestine, Ohio, Norfolk Southern train derailment, which until recently was barely even acknowledged by the U.S. government, are growing by the hour. Many in the state and federal government have written the disaster off as not that big of a deal.

However, many residents in the area are scared out of their minds of the after-effects of the derailment, which ultimately resulted in hazardous chemicals seemingly spewing everywhere. After you watch what Republican Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance tweeted while standing in a creekbed near the derailment site, you’ll understand why residents are frightened.

All it took for the senator to go viral on Thursday afternoon was a stick and a camera.

“Visited a local creek in East Palestine today. These waterways are still very polluted. It’s time for Norfolk Southern to finish the cleanup. Check this video out:” Vance tweeted.

“Hey guys, so I’m here at Leslie Run, and there are dead worms and dead fish all throughout this water. Something I just discovered is that if you scrape the creekbed, it’s like chemical is coming out of the ground,” Vance said before demonstrating what he discovered.

“This is disgusting,” Vance continued. “And the fact that we have not cleaned up the train crash, the fact that these chemicals are still seeping in the ground is an insult to people who live in East Palestine. Do not forget these people; we’ve got to keep applying pressure; that’s how we’re going to fix this problem. Thank you.”

One little scrape in that particular spot where the senator stood in the video, which looked undisturbed otherwise, and a sheen of rainbow colors immediately appeared across the surface of the water. So, either Vance struck oil, or that creek is chock-full of whatever nastiness came from the hazmat explosion at the train derailment site.

To be fair, action to mitigate the damage to local water supplies is well underway. In the video, Vance is seen standing in front of multiple containment booms, which help to filter out chemicals. It’s not accurate to say that nothing is being done about the surrounding environment, and it’s certainly not the kind of clean-up effort that will happen overnight.

CNN noted:

Ohio EPA and state officials have done several different things to try to contain pollution from the chemical spill. Crews have put oil containment booms in waterways and aerated contaminated soil and water.

Crews have excavated and removed nearly 500 cubic yards of “vinyl chloride-impacted material” including soil, according to Kurt Kollar, the on-scene coordinator for the Ohio EPA’s Office of Emergency Response. The EPA is also blocking off ditches around the contaminated dirt so that it doesn’t contaminate more water.

Tiffany Kavalec, the chief of the Division of Surface Water at Ohio EPA, reported that testing in Leslie Run shortly after the derailment revealed that “Data from February 4, the day after the train derailment, downgradient on Leslie Run and Little Beaver Creek showed very low detection levels of contaminants and mostly from fire residual chemicals. Data from February 10 more recently showed low levels of only two contaminants: butyl acrylate and ethylhexyl acrylate. Both are volatile, organic chemicals.”

So, are the chemical sheens simply firefighting chemicals hanging around from last week? Or is it something worse? Hopefully, in the coming days, we’ll find out more as further testing is conducted.

But people are justifiably uneasy about it all, especially when it’s viewed up close. On Twitter, many weighed in on Vance’s alarming video. One of the most significant concerns is that the water supply for East Palestine could be compromised, even though authorities insist that everything is totally fine right now.

“To those saying it’s all under control in Ohio (not many, I know) watch as @JDVance1 scrapes a creek bottom with a stick, instant chemical rainbow appears. This is people’s water supply we’re talking about and chemicals have been found hundreds of miles away,” DC Draino tweeted.

Another Twitter user expressed the harsh reality that this could be a long-term issue.

“Unfortunately I fear that it will take years to fully find out the damage these chemicals did to the community,” the Twitter user wrote.

As PJ Media’s managing editor Paula Bolyard noted Tuesday of some of the takeaways of Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s press conference on the disaster:

Bruce Vanderhoff, the director of the Ohio Department of Health, said the main concern at this point is drinking water, in particular, for those who have private wells. He urged both those with private wells and those on municipal water to use bottled water until more tests can be conducted. He also implored those with private wells to call the hotline so they can have their water tested at no cost. Bottled water is also being provided to residents. Vanderhoff said that women who are pregnant or breastfeeding could be especially vulnerable, in addition to infants on formula that is mixed with water.

“Make no mistake: This is still a very dangerous situation, and there are a lot of unknowns. Residents rightly fear there could be long-term health ramifications from being exposed to deadly chemicals. Only time will tell if officials on the ground have done enough to mitigate the risks,” Bolyard, an Ohio native, added.

During his visit to East Palestine on Thursday, Vance had a simple message for the Biden administration.

“I haven’t spoken to President Biden. My message to him is pretty simple. One, the Department of Transportation, your Department of Transportation, has things they can do. Stop blaming Donald Trump, a guy who hasn’t been president for three years, and use the powers of the federal government to do the things necessary to help the people in this community,” Vance said, according to Fox News.

The government’s overall tepid response to what feels like a mini-Chernobyl is beyond disturbing and only raises additional questions. The possible health risks and cancer clusters from potentially contaminated water supplies could take years — maybe more — to fully realize.

As PJ Media’s Matt Margolis reported Thursday, DeWine was notified that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has refused to provide assistance at this time.

“The DeWine Administration has been in daily contact with FEMA to discuss the need for federal support, however, FEMA continues to tell Governor DeWine that Ohio is not eligible for assistance at this time,” DeWine said in a statement. “Governor DeWine will continue working with FEMA to determine what assistance can be provided.”

It’s easy to see why people are so scared, especially when they feel they’ve been practically abandoned.

NTSB Chair Wallops Buttigieg for ‘Spreading Misinformation’ About Derailment

NTSB Chair Wallops Buttigieg for ‘Spreading Misinformation’ About Derailment

BY ROBERT SPENCER

SEE: https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/robert-spencer/2023/02/17/national-transportation-safety-board-chair-wallops-buttigieg-for-spreading-misinformation-about-derailment-n1671562;

Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, & research purposes.

Could his appalling mishandling of the East Palestine train derailment be curtains for Trans Pete, that is, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg? His mismanagement has become the occasion for a rare demonstration of dissension within the Biden administration, which usually marches, nay, goose-steps, in proudly authoritarian lockstep. But could this be fey Pete’s last dance?

After the woefully inadequate Transportation secretary found a way to blame Trump for the catastrophic train derailment, he got pushback from an unexpected quarter: National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Jennifer Homendy, who branded Buttigieg’s politically opportunistic claims “misinformation.” Misinformation! That’s something that only “MAGA Republicans” are supposed to be spreading, not good team players such as our Pete!

Homendy’s word choice made her rebuke all the more blistering. The Biden regime has repeatedly sought to de-platform and silence those who questioned their propaganda line, on the spurious grounds that the dissidents were spreading “misinformation.” Will Biden’s handlers now silence Buttigieg? Don’t bet on it, but the onetime front-runner for becoming America’s first (openly!) gay president has seen his star dim considerably during the stormy demonstration of his own incompetence as Transportation secretary.

Buttigieg’s troubles began on Valentine’s Day when he took a break from his Mr. Mom duties to post a long thread on Twitter, making excuses for the East Palestine catastrophe. The culmination of this cynical exercise in self-justification was Pete’s blaming the derailment on a Florida man, one Donald J. Trump. After explaining all his tireless efforts to keep train travel safe, Buttigieg tweeted: “We’re constrained by law on some areas of rail regulation (like the braking rule withdrawn by the Trump administration in 2018 because of a law passed by Congress in 2015), but we are using the powers we do have to keep people safe.”

See? The dastardly Trump withdrew a rule requiring quality brakes on trains, and look what happens! A train derails in Ohio and spews hazardous waste all over the area! Is there no end to Orange Man’s enormities? The evil he did lives on well after his presidency ended. The only problem with this neat little scenario was that none of it was true, and Homendy wasn’t having it. Without naming Pete, she expertly dissected him and left the pieces in a neat little pile on the Twitter floor.

On Thursday, Homendy tweeted that “anyone speculating about what happened, didn’t happen, or should’ve happened is misleading a suffering community – PLEASE STOP SPREADING MISINFORMATION. For example… Some are saying the ECP (electronically controlled pneumatic) brake rule, if implemented, would’ve prevented this derailment. FALSE – here’s why… The ECP braking rule would’ve applied ONLY to HIGH HAZARD FLAMMABLE TRAINS. The train that derailed in East Palestine was a MIXED FREIGHT TRAIN containing only 3 placarded Class 3 flammable liquids cars. This means even if the rule had gone into effect, this train wouldn’t have had ECP brakes.”

This directly contradicted Buttigieg’s claim and derailed the Blame-Trump train before it even got going. Was Buttigieg aware of the details that Homendy supplied before she tweeted them? No possible answer makes him look good. Either he knew that the brake rule wouldn’t have prevented the East Palestine derailment, but claimed that it would have anyway so as to make Trump appear responsible, or he didn’t know that the brake rule wouldn’t have prevented the derailment, in which case he is derelict in his duties as Transportation secretary. When Old Joe Biden’s handlers appointed him to this position, he should have made efforts to familiarize himself with all the relevant material he would need to know in order to perform his duties capably.

Related: Pete Buttigieg Would Have Been Fired Long Ago if He Were Straight

Buttigieg almost certainly did not do that. He has famously been distracted with matters other than what is supposed to be his job, taking undisclosed paternity leave for several months after he and his homosexual partner adopted a child. As Rick Moran has noted, and as everyone in the entire world knows, Buttigieg would have been fired long ago if he were straight. He is one of the most prominent in a parade of Biden regime officials who only have their jobs not because of their talents and abilities, but because of their value in demonstrating the regime’s commitment to “diversity.”

The East Palestine disaster, however, demonstrates that America needs a competent Transportation secretary, not a gay Transportation secretary. If Old Joe’s handlers honestly find that the individual who is best equipped to deal with America’s crumbling infrastructure is a homosexual, then great — appoint him or her. But that person is clearly not Pete Buttigieg.

Train Derails Near Detroit, Highway Shut Down for Hours

Train Derails Near Detroit, Highway Shut Down for Hours

BY KEVIN DOWNEY, JR.

SEE: https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/kevindowneyjr/2023/02/16/breaking-train-derails-near-detroit-highway-shut-down-for-hours-n1671209;

Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, & research purposes.

A train — including one tanker carrying hazardous material — has derailed west of Detroit in Van Buren Township, Mich.

Police claim there are no injuries and no threats to the public, though traffic has been stopped on a nearby interstate for several hours.

TRACK-O-RAMA! The train that derailed outside of Detroit is owned by Norfolk Southern, the same company that owns the train that derailed near East Palestine, Ohio, earlier this month.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy is on the scene and also claims that there are no health threats to the community. No hazardous materials leaked.

Local Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) released a statement that included;

My team and I have been in touch with Supervisor Kevin McNamara, the Van Buren Fire Department, and other local officials regarding the train derailment in Van Buren Township. We are also in touch with the relevant federal authorities, including the EPA. At this time no one is aware of the release of any hazardous materials, the car carrying hazardous material has been put upright and is being removed from the area of the other derailed cars, and EPA is dispatching a team to ensure public safety. We will continue to monitor the situation very closely and remain in touch with federal, state, and local officials, and release additional information as it becomes available.

This is the third train to derail this week and the fourth this month.

The train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio has released chemicals into the air and water. Thousands of pets and livestock have dropped dead from the fumes. More than 3,500 fish have died in local waterways.

The dangerous chemical plume is floating down the Ohio River at about one mile per hour. Experts suggest the chemicals could dissipate before getting to Cincinnati.

Pete Buttigieg, the secretary of transportation, remained mute on the Ohio catastrophe for ten days but broke his silence to — astonishingly — blame Trump.

The Truth About The Ohio Train Derailment FROM CLOSE RESIDENTS~Ohio congressman on outrage after train company ditches meeting~’Where are Pete Buttigieg and/or Joe Biden?

Millie Weaver gives an update on the situation in East Palestine, Ohio where a train derailed causing toxic chemicals to spill out and contaminate the surrounding area. Millie interviews her father who was a general manager for a major railroad company about his take on the situation.

Ohio congressman on outrage after train company ditches meeting

Outraged Ohio residents erupt at town hall: 'Where's Pete Buttigieg?'

EPA chief visits Ohio train derailment site amid toxic chemical concerns

While the EPA has previously said the area is safe to return to, some residents are angered and feel they aren’t being told the whole truth.

Ohio lawyer issues a warning to residents over train derailment

Lipson O’Shea Legal Group principal and owner Michael O’Shea unpacks the situation in East Palestine where he is representing families affected by the toxic train derailment.

DR. STEVE TURLEY: The TRUTH Behind the Ohio Train DERAILMENT and Media BLACKOUT!!!

WITNESS: Train derailment causing ‘WAR ZONE’ scenes in Ohio

After a train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, earlier this month, officials urged residents to evacuate the area due to fears of a large explosion. Crews then conducted a ‘controlled release’ of the chemicals, NPR reports. But the danger and devastation to the area are far from over. Katlyn Schwarzaelder, a small business owner who evacuated herself and as many animals as possible, joins Glenn to describe how East Palestine now looks like a ‘war zone.’ She details the physical symptoms felt when returning to the area and describes how the EPA apparently is telling residents all is ‘fine…’

East Palestine resident refuses to sign ‘hold harmless’ form

Just weeks after a train carrying toxic chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, some residents are being asked to sign contracts they fear could prevent them from suing later on. Catlyn Schwarzwaelder says Norfolk Southern came by to test for toxins in her home but before doing so, she was asked to sign a document. It states that the landowner agrees to “hold harmless” for “any and all legal claims, personal injury or property damage."

Ohio Train Derailment Released Potentially Cancer-Causing Chemicals Into Air

Two weeks after the Norfolk Southern train derailment released potentially cancer-causing chemicals into their community, residents say they still aren’t convinced they’re safe — even after officials from DC, including the head of the EPA, toured the area Thursday and assured them the data continues to show they aren’t in any danger.

 

Enthusiasm Fading for Electric Vehicles

Enthusiasm Fading for Electric Vehicles

BY BOB ADELMANN

SEE: https://thenewamerican.com/enthusiasm-fading-for-electric-vehicles/;

Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, & research purposes.

The recent announcement that electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Tesla has cut its prices by between six and 20 percent just to maintain its production goals and market share is the latest manifestation of the fading enthusiasm for electric vehicles.

In essence, the result of government meddling in the private market is now showing up in such moves.

In 2021, for example, auto executives were “very optimistic” about EVs, expecting them to capture as much as 70 percent of the total automotive market by 2030. A year later that optimism had subsided considerably, with those same executives cutting their expectations to 40 percent.

The latest report from international accounting firm KPMG reveals that car dealers expect EVs to capture just over 20 percent of the total automotive market by 2030.

The initial enthusiasm was generated by the belief that somehow EVs would save the planet. Governments got on board with the fraud, allowing massive tax credits to be given to purchasers of them to stimulate demand and hasten the transition.

That demand is now causing consternation, especially in California, where the far-Left interventionist governor and his Democratic sycophants in the state’s Legislature have deemed that 100 percent of vehicles sold in the state by 2035 be electric. The only problem, of course, is that making the demand and providing the supply are separate issues. As Ram Rajagopal, a professor at Stanford University, pointed out, a complete transition to electric vehicles in the state would require at least 15 times more charging stations than the 80,000 that presently exist.

And the demand on the state’s existing energy grid would be highly unlikely to be met. For instance, during a heat wave last September, just days after Governor Gavin Newsom announced that his state was going 100 percent “green” by 2035, the California Independent System Operator (which runs the state’s power grid) asked residents owning EVs to avoiding charging them during peak usage hours.

There are other issues as well. As inflation impacts the cost of building EVs, the so-called “cost advantage” of owning one over the traditional internal-combustion vehicle has narrowed to almost zero. An analysis by The Wall Street Journal in December showed that drivers of Tesla’s Model 3 had to pay the same to drive 100 miles as did the owner of a Honda Civic.

And there are political issues as well. Geopolitical strategist Peter Zeihan wrote:

The lithium comes from one place, and it’s all processed in China. So, just building the alternate processing infrastructure … and by the way, we [would] have to invade Russia too … just to get the materials to do EVs at scale is just laughable for the next decade.

There are reliability issues, too. Consumer Reports noted in its 2022 Annual Auto Reliability survey that just four of the 11 EVs in that survey had “average or better than predicted” reliability.

Plus, there are battery issues — they are expensive to replace. Consumer Affairs reported that “all EV batteries will eventually fail to hold a charge and require replacement.” In its survey of auto mechanics, the company reported that the total cost to replace a battery in a nearly 10-year-old Toyota Prius was $4,489, while the cost to replace the lithium battery in a 2014 Nissan Leaf was an astounding $17,657. A quick check on the price of a used 2014 Nissan Leaf reveals sellers are currently asking around $10,000 or so to get rid of them.

Then there are supply-chain issues. Last February the Felicity Ace — a cargo ship carrying hundreds of EVs — caught fire and sank in 10,000 feet of water off the shores of the Azores, Portugal. As Captain Rahul Khanna, global head of the marine insurance firm Allianze Global Corporate & Specialty (KGCS), noted, a single fire, from whatever cause, could (and did) incinerate an entire ship. In an interview with Autoweek, he said:

There have been quite a few, let’s say, near misses that the industry has seen over the years. And we … recognize the fact that EVs can be problematic, especially when it comes to fire….

The problem with EVs is that the lithium-ion batteries can actually propagate the fire. In fact, they can actually encourage a fire if a fire has already started and you have lithium-ion batteries — they can ignite a lot more vigorously as compared to any other cars.

Just last Friday a Norwegian shipping company banned EVs on its ferries, explaining that if an EV catches fire, the fire cannot be extinguished.

The bloom appears to be off the rose for EVs now that the reality of government interference for political reasons is becoming increasingly obvious. The cost of “going green” continues to escalate, and consumers are reacting accordingly. 

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